A Pest in the House
A Pest in the House is a 1947 animated short film directed by Chuck Jones starring the characters of Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. The title is an appropriate play on "a guest in the house."The film is notable for featuring a sort of "in-between" interpretation of Daffy. He is not necessarily the zany, impish interpretation used famously by Tex Avery and Bob Clampett, nor is he the greedy, self-centered version that Chuck Jones later popularized in the 1950s. As Paul Dini said in the DVD Audio commentary for this cartoon: "this cartoon, Daffy is really kind of almost like a sprite. He's just a little, almost elfin creature who's not really out to hurt anybody or has any ill will or malice toward anybody. He's just completely out of his mind."Paul Dini. '' A Pest in the House'' - DVD Audio commentary - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5. It was only one of three non-Bugs Bunny cartoons from 1947 not to be reissued. The others were Catch as Cats Can and Mexican Joyride. The cartoon was followed up in 1948 by Daffy Duck Slept Here, wherein Daffy (this time as a fellow guest) again doesn't let a hotel patron sleep - in this case Porky Pig. Plot The cartoon starts with a brief narration (Blanc, in his natural voice) describing a labor shortage that "became so bad" that compels employers to hire "anybody or anything". Daffy (also voiced by Blanc) is a hotel bellboy and Elmer Fudd (voiced by Bryan) is the manager. A tired man (also Bryan, in his natural voice) asks for peace and quiet, and suddenly threatens to bust Elmer right in the nose if disturbed at any time. Daffy, in a Jerry Colonna-like, sarcastic aside to the audience, remarks: "Likable chap, isn't he!" Daffy does many stunts that keep the man awake, complete with escorting him to room 666. Every time he is awakened again, the increasingly irritated man trudges to the lobby, to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel", and at the second where the song would say "pop", he busts Elmer in the face. After several shenanigans, Daffy finally concludes it is too cold in the man's room, he decides to fix the radiator. Elmer, fearing getting beat up again, chases after Daffy. Daffy makes the heat vibrate to the room. He hears whistling and covers it with several pillows. Daffy, thinking that he is blowing whistles proceeds to rant loudly to him: "So, a fine kettle of fish! Here I work myself down to the skin and bones trying to keep this guy to sleep, and what do you do? Blow whistles! Just when I got things so quiet you could hear a pin drop, you bust in here and bust out with a whistle, and you snafu the whole works! How in the name of all that's reasonable do you expect a guy to get his slumber when a goof like you goes around making noises like a one-man Fourth of July celebration? He needs peace and quiet! It's positively outrageous!". His screaming obviously wakes the now infuriated man anyway, so Elmer hurries downstairs and he and Daffy switch places through a promotion in an effort to fool the man: "For vewy mewitorwious service, you are herewith pwomoted to the position of manager. Take over.". Unfortunately he gets punched one last time. Daffy concludes the cartoon with another Jerry Colonna-like aside: "Noisy'' little character, isn't he!". See also *Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940–1949) References External links * * Category:1947 animated films Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Chuck Jones Category:Films set in hotels Category:Merrie Melodies shorts Category:1940s American animated films